Fisher Phillips Establishes Presence in Maine with Three Powerhouse Employment Partners

Fisher Phillips, an international labor and employment law firm representing employers, is expanding its national footprint with a new office in Portland, Maine with the arrival of Partners Shiloh Theberge, Tara Walker and Pawel Binczyk, and the relocation of Chris Stief, from Philadelphia to Portland. Additionally, associates Carolyn Liegner and William “Bill” Wahrer have joined the firm in Portland.

Shiloh, Tara and Pawel join Chris Stief, who serves as Regional Managing Partner of the Portland office and will partner with the new attorneys to lead the firm’s anticipated growth in the city. Portland is one of the firm's 43 offices located across the U.S. and Mexico, strengthening its presence in New England—a growing market for key industries the firm serves, such as education, healthcare, life sciences, hospitality, retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing.

"As we launch our new office, we are committed to attracting top talent that not only complements our existing teams but also broadens the opportunities for our clients to leverage our extensive labor and employment resources," said Chris Stief. "Shiloh, Tara and Pawel all are exceptional employment and labor attorneys in Maine and throughout New England. Shiloh and Tara are trusted partners to higher education institutions and independent schools statewide and beyond.  Both of these practice areas are points of business focus for us firmwide. Pawel is a skilled employment litigator and labor relations counsel. He is a strategic partner to clients in key industries aligned with Fisher Phillips' practice priorities, especially his work in the very active food, beverage, hospitality, manufacturing and retail sectors. I’m excited about the work we can do together to further establish our place in Maine’s legal and business communities, while we continue our growth here in Portland and across New England."

About Shiloh:

Shiloh has extensive experience and a proven track record practicing labor and employment law for a wide array of clients. As a former Shareholder and Chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at a large Portland law firm, she has built a strong reputation advising and defending employers on a broad range of workplace law issues, including discrimination, harassment, disability accommodations, leave laws, and wage and hour compliance. Shiloh has successfully represented clients in both federal and state courts, as well as before administrative agencies such as the Maine Human Rights Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A significant part of her practice is dedicated to advising and defending higher education institutions in employment matters, including Title IX cases. Shiloh also regularly serves as a neutral investigator in sensitive employment matters such as investigations regarding discrimination and retaliation, as well as Title IX investigations for higher education institutions.

Shiloh brings over 15 years of experience representing employers and is consistently recognized by Chambers USA as a leading Maine practitioner in Labor and Employment Law, praised for her dedication to both the law and exceptional client service. She earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.

About Tara:

Tara provides labor and employment counsel to employers on complex litigation in state and federal courts, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court. She has a particular focus on guiding and defending independent schools and non-profits on a wide array of legal matters. Tara has extensive experience helping independent schools and higher education institutions draft workplace policies, navigate student conduct matters, and manage workplace crises. She also has acted as labor relations counsel for non-profit clients, including serving as lead negotiator in collective bargaining contract negotiations, and defending employers in grievance and arbitration and unfair labor practice proceedings in the private and public sectors.  Earlier in her career, Tara served as Legal and Policy Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, where she spearheaded strategic litigation and lobbying for the Alaska ACLU.

Tara has been regularly recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch and has been ranked among Super Lawyers’ New England Rising Stars. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Tulane University Law School, her LL.M., from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and her B.A., cum laude, from Georgetown University.

About Pawel:

Pawel is a proven litigator, labor relations advisor, and crisis response professional. He has tried dozens of cases to a jury and represents businesses in a number of growing industries across the area, including retail, hospitality, manufacturing, logistics, technology, non-profits and universities. Pawel helps clients navigate complex wage and hour matters, regulatory investigations, discrimination claims, Title IX claims, union campaigns, negotiations, grievances and unfair labor practice charges. In addition to his private practice, Pawel serves part-time Judge Advocate for the Maine Army National Guard, where he serves as the deputy general counsel of the state’s Army National Guard component.  Earlier in his career, Pawel was an active-duty Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army JAG Corps for six years, where he had a particular focus on serious violent felonies and special victims cases.  He was selected to oversee the Army’s prosecution of sexual assault cases helped create the Army’s first pilot program Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Resource Center.

Pawel has been regularly recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch. He received his J.D., cum laude, from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, and his B.A., cum laude, from Amherst College. In addition to his service to the Maine Army National Guard, Pawel serves as a director and executive committee member of Boots2Roots, a non-profit organization connecting Maine businesses with skilled military personnel looking to transition off of active duty.

About Chris:

Prior to returning to Maine, Chris spent 30 years in Philadelphia, including as the founding Regional Managing Partner of the Fisher Phillips Philadelphia office from 2007 through 2024, and Regional Managing Partner of the firm’s Pittsburgh office from 2019-2021. Chris began his legal career in Portland in the 1990s with one of Maine’s largest and oldest general practice firms. He has a national practice focusing on issues relating to trade secrets, non-competes and other restrictive covenants.  He also is actively engaged with the firm’s International Practice Group and Financial Services Industry Team.

Chris has been practicing for approximately 34 years and is regularly recognized by Chambers USA as a leading practitioner in Labor and Employment Law, and as a Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star based on research revealing high regard by peers, a strong case record and positive client feedback. Chris has previously served as Co-Chair of the Labor & Employment Law Committees for both the Philadelphia and Delaware County (PA) Bar Associations.

About Fisher Phillips (www.fisherphillips.com)

With over 600 attorneys across the United States and Mexico and a vast network of attorneys in jurisdictions around the globe, Fisher Phillips advises and advocates for employers on an international scale. Through our technology-driven approach, we partner with companies to achieve their business objectives, anticipate potential disruption, and provide the legal guidance to navigate and resolve the workplace matters critical to their success.